Almost everyone who enjoys reading has fantasized about writing his or her own novel. Whether the motivation is riches, fame or simply creating a good story that will entertain others, we think that our novel could be the best one yet. So why aren’t you typing up your masterpiece right now? Here are a few reasons why not.

1. You have a short attention span. Making up a story premise is easy and fun, but fleshing it out into a 300-600 page detailed novel is much more time consuming. Many would-be novelists get mired in the details and lose interest a few pages in. Keeping the story interesting and fresh from start to finish is work.
2. Your idea is too weak. Good story ideas have several facets that can be explored and contain two or more themes. A simple idea isn’t enough to carry an entire novel. You must evaluate whether your idea is book-worthy or better suited for a short story.
3. You won’t make a long-term commitment. Unless you are a writing dynamo, creating a 50,000+ word novel is going to take a couple of months. If you are not willing or able to commit to this time frame, you are dooming your effort from the start.
4. You won’t make a daily commitment. Once you begin a novel, it is best to work on it at a steady pace, preferably adding to it daily. It will be necessary to give yourself a daily word or page goal so that you will keep the story momentum going and the characters fresh. Every day that you put off writing will increase the chance that you lose track of where you were going with the story.
5. You are intimidated. So many of the books that you read contain large words, hunks of research and lovely prose that you cannot hope to duplicate. Reading the work of the greats can discourage you from trying. Keep in mind that everyone has something to add to the body of literature. You don’t have to be Shakespeare or Hemingway to entertain readers with a compelling tale.
6. You won’t work on your writing skills. You have a terrific idea for a plot, but you won’t lift a finger to improve your grammar, spelling or dialogue. Writing a novel requires working on a variety of skills, just as your day job does. Identifying and working on weaknesses in your prose will make you better equipped for the creation process.
7. You don’t seek advice from others. If you do not take advantage of the many books on novel writing, you are limiting your potential. Read books and magazines devoted to the instruction of novelists. Sign up for a creative writing class at your local college. If you want to write your masterpiece badly enough, the effort will be worthwhile.
8. You don’t use advice from others. Yes, not every piece of advice that you hear or read will apply directly to you. However, if you completely snub the rules set by those who have written novels, you do so at your own peril. Learn from the mistakes of others!
9. You let your family and friends talk you out of it. Some people will try to squash your dreams. You may be accused to being full of yourself or attempting the impossible. The best way to handle this is to smile, nod and prove them wrong.
10. You are afraid of looking stupid. Perhaps your plot isn’t so wonderful after all. Maybe your characters will end up sounding like paper-thin idiots. You are haunted by your doubts. Think of it this way. First, it is highly unlikely that you will write the worst novel ever. Second, even if it is not everything you hoped it would be, you have at least done what thousands of people only talk about. You have completed a novel.